Douglas Dazzles For Lietuvos

Lietuvos Telekomas held off a late challenge from K Cero ICP of Slovakia to prevail 65-61 in a EuroLeague Women match on Thursday.

With 3:36 to play in the fourth quarter, the Lithuanians looked to be in charge of the match with two free throws from Katie Douglas giving them a 63-51 lead and leaving the team from Kosice chasing a huge deficit in the first Group C fixture of the season for either club.

However, K Cero had other ideas and promptly went on a 10-0 run to bring the score back to within two points.

Jurgita Streimikyte had 15 points and 9 rebounds for Lietuvos

Jela Males started the run with a layup and the same player then added a free throw but missed the second.

She redeemed herself with two more free throws and then a Slavka Frniakova three-pointer and a Jana Carnoka jump shot reduced the score to 63-61 with 44 seconds left to play.

An unlikely comeback looked on the cards but with seven seconds to play a personal foul by Tiffani Johnson gave Douglas the chance to seal victory from the charity stripe.

Douglas was unerring and her two free throws took her personal haul to a game-high 18 with three three-pointers, two from inside the arc and five from six free throws making up that tally.

The hosts had looked to be coasting to victory after taking the first two quarters 20-13 and 18-15 to record a 38-28 interval lead.

However, the visitors took the third 19-12 to set up the tense final period.

Douglas, a 26-year-old American, received stout support from Jurgita Streimikyte who poured in 15 points while Sandra Valuzyte hauled down 11 rebounds.

For the visitors from Slovakia it was Frniakova who top scored with 15 while Johnson contributed 12 and Katarina Timkova 10.

Kelly Anne Mazzante hauled down eight rebounds in a losing cause and even if Frniakova had scored with her three-pointer on the buzzer it would have been in vain.